(Las Vegas) Las Vegas love chapels that use the likeness of Elvis Presley could become “Heartbreak Hotels,” as Elvis Presley said in one of his songs.
Posted at 10:09 a.m.
The licensing company that controls the name and likeness of ‘The King’ is ordering Sin City Chapel operators to stop using Elvis at themed ceremonies, the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Authentic Brands Group sent cease and desist letters in early May to several chapels, which will now have to be compliant.
With Elvis so closely tied to the Las Vegas wedding industry, some say the move could decimate their businesses.
Kayla Collins operates LasVegasElvisWeddingChapel.com and Little Hearts Chapel with her husband. “We are a family business. It’s our bread and butter. I don’t understand. We were just picking up our pace through COVID and then it happens,” she mentioned.
Clark County Clerk Lynn Goya, who spearheaded a marketing campaign promoting Las Vegas as a wedding destination, believes the order for chapels to stop using Elvis couldn’t come at a worse time. for the sector.
The city’s wedding industry generates two billion dollars a year, and officials say Elvis-themed weddings account for a significant number of ceremonies performed.
“It could destroy part of our marriage industry. A number of people could lose their livelihoods,” Ms.me Goya.
Last weekend, a chapel saw its Elvis impersonator change into a leather jacket, jeans and a hat for a ‘rock’n’roll-themed ceremony,’ the report reported. Review-Journal.
Graceland Wedding Chapel, which hosts 6,400 Elvis-themed weddings annually, has yet to receive a warning, according to director Rod Musum.
Authentic Brands Group did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.
The licensing company oversees the estates of big names like movie star Marilyn Monroe and boxer Muhammad Ali as well as 50 consumer brands.
In the cease and desist letter, the company said it would end the unauthorized use of “Presley’s name, likeness, vocal image, and other elements of Presley’s personality. Elvis Presley in Advertisements, Merchandise and Others”. The letter also stated “that Elvis, Elvis Presley and The King of Rock and Roll” are protected trademarks.
The order is not expected to result in legal action against Elvis-themed stage shows in Las Vegas, such as All Shook Upbecause impersonating someone for live performances such as shows is considered an exception under Nevada’s Publicity Rights Act, according to Mark Tratos, a local attorney who helped draft the status.
“An Elvis show is a performer who basically entertains others by recreating that person on stage,” Mr. Tratos explained.
Kent Ripley, whose business is called Elvis Weddings, said he has never had this problem in 25 years of performing as Elvis.
“They want to protect the Elvis brand. But what are they protecting by keeping Elvis away from the public,” the entrepreneur asked.